Habit Loops define the way we think and act.
Ask yourself this, do I take enough responsibility for my actions? Am I aware of the long term effects of the habits I’m creating?
Many of our day to actions are habit loops. These habit loops are automatic processes. The good news is that we can reprogram these loops to benefit us.
Habit loop: Cue, Routine, Reward
- Cue Identify the trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode & which habit to use, cues can be almost anything…time of day, an emotion, location, or activity)
- Routine Physical, mental, or emotional actions. These can be complex or simple actions.
- Reward Your brain determines if this particular loop is worth remembering…the reward is the dopamine rush you get from food, candy, sweets or the accompanying feeling (emotional payoff) such as pride or self congratulation (this is the goal of a new habit such as healthy eating!)
To change the habit, you maintain the old cue & deliver the reward but change the routine
Cue: Boredom -> Routine: Snacking -> Reward: Stimulation/Change of scenery/Distraction
A new habit loop would look like:
Cue: Boredom -> Routine: Going for a walk -> Reward: Stimulation/Change of scenery/Distraction
We define how we interact with the events our our day. Sometimes we forget how much control we have over what we’re doing and that’s ok. But what’s most important is that we know we have the power to change our habits to empower us.
These are some of the powerful ideas I learned in Charles Duhigg’s book, The Power of Habit.